Right off the bat, Ghost of Yotei just simply plowed through everyone in its first month and weirdly enough, the game sold more than 3.3 million copies just for the PS5. To put it in simple terms, if you think the number is enormous for a game, actually it still is very large if the game is not sold for more than one console. However, discussions on the subject whether the sales are really good or bad have started as it is the case with the Internet. I mean, really?? Selling 3.3 million copies a month is just unbelievable under all circumstances.
And what do the sales figures say? Well, one thing is certain, Ghost of Yotei has already earned back the production budget and a little bit more. From one quick calculation done by the gamers in the replies, the game cost around $60 million to make. If we take $70 per shipment into account, then it is already a revenue of over $231 million!! Also, it is impossible for the marketing expenses to be three times the game’s budget, so this one is certainly profitable. Like really, really profitable.
And yet there are some people who always try to minimize the success like it was the case with all the previous ones. A user with the nickname Leg Bone Jones is said to have commented “only” 3.3 million which was a bit… what? The vast majority of games never come near 3 million combined sales through their entire lives, let alone in the first month. And not to mention, the comparison with Ghost of Tsushima has always been there, which managed to sell 5 million copies in its first 4 months back in 2020. But the thing is that it was a time of pandemic lockdowns when people were at home and buying games like crazy. Besides, they were $10 cheaper than Tsushima at launch date. Thus, comparing these two games as if they are the same is wrong.
Players were quite passionate in their discussions, to be honest. One person remarked that in terms of console user base percentage, Ghost of Yotei hit approximately 4% of PS5 users, which is truly exceptional for a single title. On the contrary, someone mentioned that Doom the Dark Ages sold under 2 million in its first month but that is part of the multi-platform sales. So, 3.3 million on just one platform is really something.
Then, there is always the debate of consoles versus PCs that keeps cropping up. A few said that PC has a much bigger market, something like an estimated 1.86 billion PC gamers worldwide or a similar. Others stated that PC games hardly reach even 1% of the potential audience. Simultaneously, Ghost of Yotei getting to 4% of PS5 users is definitely much more remarkable when viewed in that way. Console players just have different patterns of buying, I guess.
What is the most amusing aspect is seeing people change the criteria for success. At first, it was “only” 3.3 million, then, when you point out it is actually great, they change to “but it didn’t surpass Tsushima!” Now, like wait a minute what even was I saying? Oh, yes, Ghost of Yotei being a great success. The game does not have to break every record to be considered successful. Already made three times its budget in one month! This is what the developers and publishers should care about.
The festive season is also coming, so the sales would probably get a boost again. One user stated that Ghost of Yotei just has to sell another 1.7 million copies in the next three months to be equal to Tsushima’s four-month sales, and this is already justified considering the award season and holidays ahead.
Meanwhile, someone reminded us that ARC Raiders managed to sell over 4 million copies in the first 11 days but that is a multi-platform game. When you put Ghost of Yotei’s 3.3 million on PS5 beside it, it is arguably more impressive if one takes the smaller audience into account.
In the end, however, 3.3 million copies in one month is a huge win for any game. Exclusive platform only? That is completely over the top. The game makers from Sucker Punch Productions are likely having a celebration right now, and those players who were lucky enough to play the game and liked it are also pleased to witness its success. The haters can keep on hating but the numbers do not lie – Ghost of Yotei is a massive hit that has already recovered its investment and more. Not bad for a month’s work, huh?
Xbox players might have different opinions, but the success speaks for itself.
